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Meetings and Facilitation

Regardless of your issue, your venue, your target, or your constituency of members, you will inevitably need this section.

In our experience, meeting tend to take on a mind of their own. Honing your skills as a facilitator and preparing both yourself and your group members for meetings increases your efficiency and productivity.

This section questions the need for meetings; highlights the key points of an agenda; outlines basic meeting skills; and describes traits and skills necessary for good meeting facilitation.

+ Do you need a meeting?Ahh, the eternal questions:

I have concerns—is calling a meeting the best way to address them?

1. Identify your objectives. Ask yourself the following questions: Why do I want to hold a meeting? Why would I participate in the meeting? What do I want to achieve with the meeting? What do I want to achieve after the meeting is over?

2. Objective vs. Audience. “I want to talk about the fundraiser campaign” is not an objective. It has no purpose other than providing a speaker with an audience. “I want to reach a specific decision concerning an upcoming fundraising event” is an objective. Objectives much have a clear question and meetings with real objectives end in clear decisions which lead to action.

3. The Exception: When a group is still forming its structure and identity, you may need to have an occasional “We don’t know what’s going on and we need to discuss” meeting, but try to move beyond them once the group becomes more defined.

4. Consider other options. Once you have identified your objectives, decide whether a meeting is the best way to accomplish them, or whether another method (memo, email, phone call, etc) would accomplish the same objective or whether a meeting is necessary.

+ AgendaEveryone should know what to expect before coming to a meeting. Write and email the agenda to participants a day (or an hour—we understand

that you’re in college) in advance to give everyone time to prepare. Include:

The title of the meeting. Most meetings have a name or description and a title will help convey the general topic.

Who called the meeting? It can be important to identify who convened the meeting so that questions and additions to the agenda can be directed to the person responsible.

The date, time, place. Include a basic and realistic breakdown of how the meeting will run. Include a start time and an end time and stick to both.

The purpose. Naming the objectives on the agenda gives participants an idea of what’s going to happen and, more importantly, whether or not they need to be there.

The essential players. State who needs to attend and whether or not others are invited to attend.

+ AgendaEveryone should know what to expect before coming to a meeting. Write and email the agenda to participants a day (or an hour—we understand

that you’re in college) in advance to give everyone time to prepare. Include:

Preparation is key. If participants must do homework before the meeting to prepare, let them know when you send out the agenda. Keep expectations simple and realistic.

Please bring… If you want participants to bring anything, such as edited documents, completed forms, or other resources, tell them in advance.

Define Roles. By naming the chairperson, the facilitator, the recorder, and the expected attendance, group members can determine whether or not they need to attend the meeting. By naming the group members that are expected to attend,

it allows people to get a sense of the size and flavor of the meeting.

Additionally, it creates a sense of accountability and gives the opportunity for all to see what interests will be represented.

+ AgendaEveryone should know what to expect before coming to a meeting. Write and email the agenda to participants a day (or an hour—we understand

that you’re in college) in advance to give everyone time to prepare. Include:

Agenda Items Order of items. Organize the items starting with the

most important and ending with planning for the next meeting.

Persons responsible. Who is responsible for introducing the subject and further carrying out this area of concern?

Process. This helps communicate whether you want the group to simply listen to a presentation or to become involved in solving a particular problem or making a decision.

Time Allocated. Realistically estimate of the time necessary to deal with the issue.

+Meeting Method

Ground rules. Everybody should know how the meeting is going to be run. Making this clear will help avoid a “structureless” meeting.

Decision Making Method. If decisions are going to be made its essential that everybody understands how they are going to be made (general consensus, simple majority vote) and who will have the final say (chairperson or group as a whole).

+Meeting Environment

Keep it cold. Many facilitators believe it keeps people awake?

Seating arrangements. Make sure you have enough chairs for everyone attending the meeting and that they are positioned in a way that everyone will be able to see everyone else

Ambience. For serious, businesslike meetings, host them in a professional environment. Casual meetings can be held almost anywhere. Keep in down. Hold

your meeting in an environment with relatively little background noise.

Choosing a seat:•Want to stand out in the group? Choose a seat opposite the group or meeting’s leader.•Prefer to blend in? Sit a seat or two away from the leader.

+ Basic Meeting Skills Opening remarks. This one or two minute talk needs to

be carefully prepared because it will establish a direction for the meeting. There are several requirements for opening remarks.

Be positive, but honest. Praise progress, but admit to upcoming tasks.

Focus. State the purpose of the meeting. This may seem repetitous, but it is necessary to maintain direction.

Review progress. This is vital when working on long-term projects, and it serves as inspiration for future work.

Summarize positions. If agenda includes a controversial topic, use this time to sum up both sides. The facilitator must be careful to display all arguments impartially or risk tainting the participants’ perspectives.

Call for action. Identify the meeting’s key objectives and call the group to action concerning the decisions that need to be made.

Be Concise. Like this. (Get it?)

+ Basic Meeting Skills Maintaining direction. The leader/facilitator is

responsible for keeping the meeting on track and moving through the agenda. Dangerous digressions. Meetings tend to move away from

the key issues gradually. The facilitator must pay attention and correct the meeting’s path as soon as digressions occur.

If an individual moves the topic away from the objectives, the leader should redirect him or her gently but forcefully back to the issues. A few helpful interjectors: “John, that’s interesting. We ought to look into it further. Now

about…” and return to central theme. “Elizabeth, if you can get us more information on that, I’m

sure we’d be interested. On the present matter, I believe…”

Group balance. It is the facilitator’s job to make sure the shy member and the “overparticipator” contribute equally. Helping each member reach his or her performance potential may mean limiting the participation of some and asking direct questions to others

+ Basic Meeting Skills Action Items: The heart of the meeting.

An action items is a decision that requires action outside the meeting—anything from writing a report to having a relational meeting.

Action items create responsibility by making each person publicly accountable for an action.

Keep a running list of action items throughout the meeting.

Ending the meeting. A good ending means a better beginning when the group reconvenes and everyone feels that their time was well spent. End with the following so people feel they have spent their time well: Recap of discussion. Review the steps you took to arrive at the

decisions. This legitimates decisions and affirms those who contributed positively.

Summary of areas still requiring consideration. If any topics of discussion must carry over into future meetings, identify them and delegate responsibilities.

Review of assignments. At the end of the meeting, review the list of action items and delegate or eliminate each task, specifying when each will be finished.

Setting the next meeting. If another meeting is necessary, do this before adjourning.

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2 sticks (8oz) Empathy- Understand their feelings and needs5 tons Active listening skills1 teaspoon Humanity- Be willing to show your strengths AND weaknesses.2 teaspoons Constructive criticism2 tablespoons Acceptance- Let them know that you accept who they are.¼ cup Clarity of explanation- State your objectives explicitly and concisely.3 teaspoons Flexibility1 stick Specificity1 part Encouragement1 part Summarizing5 parts Delegation

Recipe for a Fantastic Facilitator

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DIRECTIONS:

Combine Empathy and Active listening skills and apply it in all your interactions within the meeting. And a pinch of Humanity to remind them that you are all on the same playing field. Depending on the group’s needs, use Acceptance and Constructive criticism to move the meeting along. Once the group begins to discuss, fold in Flexibility, Specificity, and Clarity as you respond to their comments so that the entire group feels that you understand clearly and are willing to discuss. For best results, soak each member in Encouragement throughout the process and Summarize all proposed actions at the end, mixing in Delegation to make sure all the groups objectives are accomplished after the meeting adjourns.

Yield dozens of productive meetings.

Recipe for a Fantastic Facilitator

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1. Thou shall follow the planned agenda as long as it addresses the group’s needs.

2. Thou shall allow everyone to speak and (a very different idea) to be heard.

3. Thou shall not judge. Rather, thou shall listen attentively and empathize with the speaker’s experiences.

4. Thou shall provide relevant suggestions for procedures that will help the group accomplish its goals.

5. Thou shall assist the group in evaluating its performance.6. Thou shall be sensitive to the group’s needs and invite

feedback to address them.7. Thou shall summarize the group’s ideas and decisions both

as the meeting progresses and before adjourning.8. Thou shall not feel the need to respond to every statement.9. Thou shall delegate all action items and set dates for their

completion.

The Almost Ten Commandments

of Facilitating